This month s featured article

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1 This month s featured article VOLUME 211 AUGUST ISSUE Brother Larry Kester is no stranger to masonic recognition. A 33rd Degree, Inspector General Honorary, a Knight of the Royal Order of Scotland, and recipient of the Plano Lodge Golden Trowel, Brother Kester has most recently been feted for his 60-year contribution to the Order of DeMolay. I had an opportunity to sit down with Brother Kester at his home recently and spend some time reminiscing about his experience in the Order. In accordance with proper masonic protocol, this was done through a series of questions and answers, which Brother Kester was more than willing to provide comprehensive, yet somewhat uncharacteristically concise responses. What inspired you to become a DeMolay? My Father was a Mason and suggested I look into joining. What offices did you hold? I became the Master Councilor, (WM), and was later created a Chevalier. I also held a minor State office. I also gave the Flower Talk. Were there any lessons you learned that helped you later in life? I would say that working up thru the Chairs to Master Councilor gave me confidence in myself and the ability to speak to a group of people. What is your fondest memory as a DeMolay? Nothing in particular stands out. I guess it was mostly the friendships developed. What is the criteria for remaining active as an adult? Nov. 8th is a DeMolay Day of Remembrance. On or about that day you are supposed to do one of the following: Take a DeMolay Boy to dinner; Attend a DeMolay banquet; Sponsor a DeMolay candidate; or make a cash donation to the DeMolay Order. Any other comments you would like to add? I think it s a fine organization for young men where hopefully good character can be built. Inside this issue: From the East By the Plumb Conference in the Middle Chamber 2 3 OK Masters 4 Last Rites Request Form Ernest Borgnine 33 Calendar & Dinner Menu Contact Information Your Contributions are Encouraged! Please send stories, ideas, photos, or opinions directly to Trestleboard@planoma soniclodge.org ~ JH

2 VOLUME 211 AUGUST ISSUE From the East Page 2 At the end of July, the members of Plano Lodge traveled to Norman, Oklahoma to confer a Master s degree. During that event, I was earnestly reminded of the profound connection that each of us shares with our brothers, no matter what part of the world in which we might find ourselves. There is something magical about the instant connection of friendship and brotherhood one feels in meeting another Mason for the first time. That feeling of connectedness utterly transcends the barriers that often separate humanity without the door of the Lodge, the very same distinctions of culture, religion, and social status that Freemasonry seeks to overcome in uniting men through the promotion of equality and toleration. There is something utterly indescribable that connects every Mason through our shared experiences in both becoming a Mason and practicing the teachings of the Order. We are bound to the Fraternity by a strong tie that goes much deeper than the promises we have made to each other. Our own lecture describes this indissoluble chain of sincere affection, which for centuries, our brethren in Europe have called the mystic tie. The question that comes to my mind is this. If this bond is so strong that it inspires an instant rapport between two strangers in every other regard, how much greater must its influence be felt between men of the same Lodge, who have known each other for many years? In particular, Freemasonry has a lot to teach us about sincerity, integrity, patience, fidelity, mercy, and justice. Masonry proposes an abiding optimism about human nature, especially where the expectations and judgment of our brothers are concerned. In an age in which we find ourselves so continuously connected with our fellow humans, constantly communicating through electronic means in both the most meaningful and trivial ways, we are simultaneously losing our ability to discern the intentions and sincerity of those we interact with. It is commonplace now to find that some comment, , post, or tweet is interpreted in some way that was not intended, and friendships are damaged in the misunderstanding. The increase in the quantity of our communication has placed quality at risk. In this regard, Masonry teaches us to assume that our brothers are acting with sincerity and integrity. In interpreting their words and actions, we must strive to presume that they are acting with the best intentions, and only when we find them truly in error, does one of our ancient changes instruct us to judge with candor, admonish with friendship, and reprehend with justice. This is much easier said than done, my brothers, and that is why Masonry is a progressive science. We must never cease working upon ourselves. As Mahatma Gandhi is well known to have said, We must be the change we wish to see in the world. Fraternally, Kevin Main

3 Page 3 By the Plumb Brethren, Calendar of extra-curricular events occurring for Plano Lodge: Don t forget: Fall Festive Board Friday, October 12th. Details will be forth-coming. Thursday, December 27th - Saint John the Evangelist Feast day. We ll plan a couples night out. Please let me know if you think you d like to attend so I can secure an appropriate-sized room. It will be in or near Plano. We are working to keep costs low, but expectations high. Thursday, February 14th - Valentine s Day - Dark. No excuses! Plan ahead. Spring Festive Board Saturday, March 2nd. Spring Picnic Saturday, May 4th. We are hoping to have a picnic with East Fork Lodge. They will confirm in the next few days. Planning for lunch, games & activities. We might challenge each other for softball or volleyball. Chili cook-off will be on order. We ll have a bounce house, slide or obstacle course for the kids, at least. Bob Woodruff Park, North Pavilion. 1. Thursdays, 5:30pm practice floor work or degree parts as needed. Just ask. 2. Meditations Also, Thursday August 9th, we will meet downstairs in the Museum at 5pm (or when you can get there). We plan to discuss the Museum & Library planning activities for the upcoming grant s fiscal year. We have a lot of projects and activities to address and we could use volunteers to contribute in concept & execution to accomplish these goals we establish. We have some light refreshments (I ll provide) until 6pm, when we ll adjourn upstairs for our always-great dinner followed by our called meeting. Even if you just want to listen and see Masons in action (ahem), join us for some good conversation. Thursday, August 30th will be a Masonic education night. There is some great material we have to go through on the things a (new) Mason should know. See you Thursday, Brian Chaput, JW

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6 VOLUME 211 AUGUST ISSUE Page 6 Conference Agenda Saturday, August 18, 2012 (4PM 7PM) Rudyard Kipling Robert F Pannell TBD William R. Goodell Conference Schedule for 2012: Saturday, February 11, PM 4PM Saturday, May 26, PM 7PM Saturday, August 18, PM 7PM Saturday, November 17, PM 7PM Hosted By: North Texas Masonic Historical Museum and Library 1414 J Avenue Plano, TX, The Conference of the Middle Chamber is a great opportunity for Freemasons, young and old, to join each other in exploring and unfolding the beauties of Masonic philosophy, history, and practice. Each conference hosts presentations, discussions, and panels selected from proposals submitted by Masons. Topics for presentation and discussion will encompass anything with the exploration and progress of Freemasonry at its heart, including other philosophies and practices that perhaps bear some relationship to Freemasonry.

7 Page 7 Illustrious Brother Ernest Borgnine 33 Bro. Earnest Borgnine died of renal failure on July 8, 2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 95 years old. Attendees at his funeral included several members of the United States Navy SEALs, as well as Tim Conway, Scott Eastwood, Leonard Nimoy, Dylan McDermott, Gary Sinise, Joan Rivers, Joe Mantegna, Marlee Matlin, LeVar Burton, Rob Lowe, James Corden, Jenny McCarthy, Flea, Bruce Campbell, and Roger Ebert. His remains were later cremated. The following blog was posted by Chris Hodapp on May 9, The Scotsman has a wonderful interview ("Importance of being Ernest") with Illustrious Brother Ernest Borgnine 33. At 92, he is the oldest living Oscar winner, for his starring role in 1955's "Marty". The words were by the incomparable Paddy Chayefsky, and Borgnine gives him great credit ("Let's blame the writer, Paddy Chayefsky," he says, reminding me without spelling it out that the playwright's name is synonymous with "kitchen sink realism". "A lot of people have tried to do it and can't. It's a thing of heart, you've got to have a lot of heart for it and love for it."). But Borgnine made Marty (like so many other of his characterizations) real. You stand up and cheer in the last scene when he tells his deadbeat buddies, who can't get a date, but ridicule him because his isn't pretty enough: "You don't like her. My mother don't like her. She's a dog. And I'm a fat, ugly man. Well, all I know is I had a good time last night. I'm gonna have a good time tonight. If we have enough good times together, I'm gonna get down on my knees. I'm gonna beg that girl to marry me. If we make a party on New Year's, I got a date for that party. You don't like her? That's too bad." The article is noteworthy for Freemasons, not just because Borgnine is a Mason, but because of a question posed by the reporter. He has just published his autobiography in the UK with the drop-dead great title, "Ernest Borgnine: I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire, I Just Want to Keep My Nuts Warm." (It's been blandly titled in the US simply "Ernie: The Autobiography"). The reporter, Lee Randall, remarks that Borgnine mentions God frequently in the book, and asks if he is a religious man. "I'm not, and this is how it came about. My mother's family had their own church in Italy. Her father was a count, the financial advisor to King Victor Emmanuel. My mother never told me this, it came from my father. I wanted to be an altar boy and she said, 'No! Period!' I wanted to know why but nobody was saying a word. "One day my father told me that this priest in the family's church attempted to rape her. She turned against the church like a madwoman. To make a long story short, when we used to go to church with my uncle she'd say, 'You see those trees out there: that's your church. See those beautiful fields and those flowers: that's your church. This is what you worship.' " "I am very happy to say that I'm a 33rd degree Grand Cross Master Mason in the Scottish Rite. We believe in one thing, God. We believe in another thing: to help your fellow man. Be as kind as you can be to everybody. We support and take care of our own hospitals; we have a retirement plan, charities. You don't have to go to church. If you can do good like that, what's better?" Brother Borgnine is a member of Abingdon Lodge No. 48, Abingdon, Virginia, and, Hollywood Lodge No (BTW, while Brother Borgnine has had over 200 screen credits to his name, plus untold theatre roles, he has recently done voice over parts in animated programs Mermaid Man in SpongeBob SquarePants, for example. Masons take note: this year he voiced a part in the animated film "The Lion of Judah.")

8 VOLUME 211 AUGUST ISSUE August 2012 Page 8 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Stated Meeting EA Certificate Practice Rainbow Advisory Board McKinney Commandery Stated East Fork # 650 St. John s # 51 Called Meeting FC Degree Dr. Pepper Barbecue Chicken Lee # 435 Melissa # Lebanon # MM Certificate Practice OES Stated Blue Ridge # 490 Celina # 919 Rainbow Stated Allen # Called Meeting Masonic Education Junior Steward s Trestleboard Shrine Stated Called Meeting MM Degree Breakfast 8 AM / Meeting 9 AM Conference of the Middle Chamber Museum & Library 4PM - 7PM FC Certificate Practice OES Stated Scottish Rite Stated Rainbow Lodge Cleanup Farmersville # 214 Called Meeting MM Degree Meat Loaf Lecture Practice Scottish Rite Education Meeting Rainbow Initiation Meeting Plano Shrine Club New Mason Orientation Open to All Masons Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo Holiday Inn Select - Richardson Dinner 6 PM / Meeting 7 PM McKinney Council Stated Meeting Princeton # 1436

9 Page 9 P L A N O M A S O N I C L O D G E # A F & A M 1414 J Avenue Plano, TX Phone: Masonry, knock and it shall be opened unto thee /2013 Senior Officers Worshipful Master Kevin Main kevin@main-family.com Senior Warden Bill Goodell w.goodell@sbcglobal.net Junior Warden Brian Chaput chaputba1@yahoo.com Treasurer Kevin Campbell kevinmcampbell2003@yahoo.com Secretary H. David Moore dmoore@ghizmo.com 2012/2013 Junior Officers Chaplin Joseph McBain hossmcbain@gmail.com Senior Deacon Barry Parrish ellisparrish1@hotmail.com Junior Deacon Jim Harbor jim.harbor@gmail.com Senior Steward Brian Cook go2e@sbcglobal.net Junior Junior Steward Shaun Henry rescue161@aol.com Marshal Sam Tiner sam.tiner@verizon.net Master of Ceremonies Trey Odem treydodem@gmail.com Tiler Dennis Surrells dennis.surrells@verizon.net